Ram-jet unit



July 12, 1960 F. G. PARIS ll'AL` RAM-JET UNIT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 27, 1957 NVE NTORS A-r-roRnEYs July 12, 1950 F. G. PARls EI'AL RAM-JET UNIT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 27, 195'? mvanroks TTORN EYS 2,944,391 Y RAM-JET UNIT Francois Gilbert Paris, Garches, Jean Henri Bertin, 'Neuilly-sur-Seine, and Benjamin Jean Marcel Salmon, Suresnes, all of France, assignors to Societe Bertin & Cie, Paris, France, a French company Filed June 27, i957, seaNo. 668,388 Y Claims priority, application France June 29, 1956' 7 claims. (ci. sii-35.6)

The present invention relates to ram-jet units usedfor 'propellingaircraft or the like, and more specicallyto ram-jetV unitsj equipped with air entraining or ejector systems designed to accelerate the motiveflow through the unit and improve its loperative.conditions especially. at.

low speeds.

IAn object Vof this invention is to provide such an ejec tor system in combination vwith a'ram-jetunit, which will not only augment the thrust when operated, but also cause but slight pressure losses when at .rest

while the ram-jet unit operates in the conventional manner. j

A further object of this invention is to allow for a considerable reduction in over-all length of the power plant as compared WithV conventional ram-jet units of similar output. Y

In the accompanying drawings: Y v

- Figure l is an axial section of a first embodiment of ram-jet unit according to the invention, V

VFigure 2 is a section along line II-IIY of Figure l,

Figure 3 is a modification comprising an ejector of the divergent fluid Wall type, f

Figure 4 is a section on line IV-IV of IFigure 3.

'Figures l and 2'show a ram-jet unit comprising in succession, a ramming air intake or diifuser 8, a combustion chamber bounded by a generally cylindrical wall 9 and a propelling nozzle 10 designed to form a thrustproviding jet.

In accordance with a feature of the present invention, a number of ejector tubes or nozzles (four in the example of the drawing) t1, t2, t3 are arranged 'between the diifusor 8 and the combustion chamber 9, across a partition 11 provided upstream of this chamber in such a manner that the atmospheric air has to pass through the said tubes or nozzles as indicated by the arrows F2,

vin order to ow from the diffusor to the combustion chamber.

Each of the nozzles comprises a convergent entrance portion 1 and a divergent exit portion 2. On'the inner wall surface of the tube thus constituted in the region of the throat or slightly downstream thereof, an annular duct 3 opens about the axis of the said tube, the shape of lwhich -duct is approximately that of a cone which would have its apex at 3a on the said axis. This duet communicates with an annular manifold 4 which supplies the said duct with fluid under pressure in order to form the energizing jet. The nozzles t1, t2, t3 form together a compressor which raises the pressure in the combustion chamber 9. The fuel to be burnt in the chamber 9 may be introduced by means of injectors 9a conveniently disposed either in the ow passing through these nozzles or slightly downstream thereof as indicated by way of example in Figure l. The whole or part of this fuel may alternatively be introduced into the energiz-y ing fluid for example into the manifolds 4.

The inducting jets may alternatively be. constituted by the exhaust gases of rockets. An embodiment of this -kind is illustrated in Figure 1 where each one of the collectors 4 constitutes the combustion chamber of a` rocket. For this purpose a pipe -12 supplying the oxidizer from a reservoir 13 and a pipe 14 supplying the fuel from a reservoir 15 lead into each manifold v4, the reservoirs 13 and 15 being arranged in a streamlined central body '16 placed at the entry of the diifusor and supported by radial arms 17. The fuel and the oxidizer l are so chosen as to form together a hypergolic mixfio ture which ignites spontaneously, for example the fuel may be kerosene zand the oxidizer nitric acid. It is important that the fuel is the same as that injected di-- rectly into the combustion chamber 'of the ram-jet unit yso thatv even without the use of vrockets Vit suiiices to preserve a moderate supplyr of fuel in the conduits 12 for r assuring the .functioning of the ram-jet unit. The tubes -12 and 14 are each provided With a valve 112a, y'14a operated periodically in any convenient mannerrto successively make and breakvthe supply lines.

y Thus a periodic combustion is produced in each ofV the manifolds 4, and the high energy gases evolving from this combustion form the inducting jet at the outlet of each of the annular ducts 3.

' Thepropulsion effect attained by thus using the exhaust gases of rockets for supplying the chamber 9 and nozzle 10 is greater than that which could be a'ttained by directlyv using the exhaust gases ofthe said rockets for propulsion. A range of economical operations may be obtained for certain ight cases of medium thrust and -loW speed, by not effecting any combustion in the chamber 9 and by being satisiied with the energy supplied by the rockets. v

By burning fuel in the chamber 9 the power developed l .is increased, for example for the take-off and for attain- It is advantageous if the nozzles t1, t2, t3 high as possible a number function with a certain phase offset in order to regularise the final flow in the combustion chamber of the ram-jet unit as well as the flow induced by these nozzles in the dilfusor. For this purpose in the embodiment described it suflices to control the functioning of the obturators 12a, 14a associated in the various manifolds 4 with a suitable sequence.

The tore shape illustrated for the manifolds 4 is only a particular case which may offer advantages when the manifold or manifolds are the seat of a rocket combustion, but the manifolds may have any other shape.

For the case of slow flight one may provide auxiliary aps for the entry of air in the vicinity of the maximum cross-section of the diifusor 8 in such a manner as to permit the nozzles to aspirate without pressure drop the great mass flow necessary for the improvement of propulsive output at low flight speeds. Such flaps are illustrated in Figure l, one of them, 18, in the closed position, the other one, 19, in the open position. They are biased towards the closed position byV springs not shown.

On the other hand the partition 11 comprises preferably at least one orice 20 (Figure 2) which may be opened in order to increase the total output in the case of flight at high speed. j

From the fact that the nozzles are arranged inthe interior of the ram-jet unit just upstream of the combustion chamber, and that they accordingly aspire air which has already passed through the difusor of the ram-jet unit, several advantages are derived:

(a) The diffusor of the ram-jet unit remains simple and can be given'the best possible characteristics as a diffuser, the output of this member affecting directly that of the ram-jet unit, as well known.

.in as `Wall but by a Vfluid sheet.

(if) The nozzles may serve as ame holders or as a ramp `flor the injection of the fuel.

(c) Even if the combustion is stopped downstream of the nozzles, the latter preserve a good output not only at stationary conditions but also at high speed, owing to the-fact that the inducting jets of the nozzles `expand rst therethrough to the pressure level generated Vby the .diiusor ,ofvthe ranrjet unit, and then through :the propulsion nozzle of .the 4unit together with the air which had passed kdirectly through the `same and has been subject ,to the .action of the nozzles. This expansion in two stages is advantageous.

i The modification of Figures 3 and 4 Adiffers from the preceding embodiment in that at least part ofthe divergent portions .of lthe :nozzles is bounded not by a solid This type of ejector nozzle with a .divergent ilu-id wall has been described in United States application Serial No. 624,811, filed November 28, 1956 now Patent No. 2,922,277. This yiluid Wall shown at25 in Figure 3 is formed in the casein consideration by the induct-ing jet itself which issues from the annular, conduit 3 of each `of `the nozzles.

In such a case the nozzles 'are reduced to the inner surface of the annular manifolds when the inductng jet-s are stopped.

' I claim-z `1. In a ram-jet unit having a ramming intake directed forward and .designed to convert velocity of intake air into -pressure, and a combustion chamber supplied with air providing from said ramming intake, an air pressure raising ejector device comprising a pipe extending between `the downstream end 4of Asaid ralnrning intake .and the upstream end of said .combustion chamber to interconnect the same, said pipe having an upstream .convergent section :opening 1in-to said downstream end ,of the ramming intake, an annular slot-like nozzle extending around said pipe, downstream of the convergent section thereof, and opening vin a direction .inclined downstream, and means for supplying pressure fluid to said annular nozzle to form a motive jet inducing compressed air Vfrom the downstream end of said ramming intake and discharging it into said combustion chamber with an increased pressure.

2. Ram-jet unit as claimed in claim l, comprising a partition Wall across said unit, separating the ramming intake from the combustion chamber, the pipe extending through said wall to interconnect said intake and chamber.

3. Ram-jet unit as claimed in Yclaim 2, comprising an pipe is bounded by a solid annular wall of generally con-` vergent shape, and the slot-like nozzle is inclined in a direction substantially tangent to' said annular wall and diverging from the axis thereof, whereby a divergent an-V nular jet is formed whichY extends the solid convergent wall.

7. Ram-jet unit as claimed in claim 1, `wherein the pipe comprises a solid annular wall of generally divergent shape downstream `of and lextending an annular wall of generally convergent shape, the annular slot-like n ozz-le being located at the junction of said walls.`

References rCited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,412,825 McCollum Dec. 17, V1946 2,419,866 Wilson Apr. 29, l1 947 2,699,906 Lee et al Ian. 18, 19,55 2,705,396 Boyce et al. Apr. 5, `1:955 2,735,263 Charshaan Feb. 21, 1956 

